Kyril Louis-Dreyfus becomes Sunderland chairman at the age of 23 after buying a controlling interest in the club.

A man who lost his wedding ring while dropping off cardboard at a recycling centre in North Shields has thanked the workers who managed to find it.

James Ross noticed his wedding band was missing on Valentine's Day while emptying his cardboard waste into a container.

The 38-year-old, who alerted staff when he realised it was gone, said: “It wasn’t what it cost – it was laser engraved with my wife’s handwriting and the date we got married in 2009. It was irreplaceable."

Twenty minutes later, one of the four members of staff who'd been searching for it, found it in a puddle of mud under at 10ft (3m) pile of waste.

Image source, North Tyneside Council

Plant operator, Jordan Cooper, 22, who found it said: “When we realised what had happened, we were all happy to help in the search, especially as it was Valentine’s Day."

Image source, North Tyneside council

Redcar and Cleveland's Inspiring Women Awards have been postponed until 2022 due uncertainty about how long coronavirus restrictions will be in place.

The annual ceremony, usually held in the spring, recognises women who make a difference in categories like business and volunteering.

The organisers want to create a legacy for radio presenter Julie Donaldson, who died last year after contracting Covid.

She had hosted all the previous awards events and was named volunteer of the year in 2018.

Ruth Fox, chair of the awards, said: “It was devastating to lose Julie, who played such an important role in the Inspiring Women project and in the wider community."

Image source, Redcar and Cleveland council

A 15-year-old girl has had an air gun pellet removed from her head after she was shot in Middlesbrough.

The teenager was wounded in the back of her head on Trimdon Avenue on Tuesday night.

Police said the pellet was from an air gun or pistol.

Det Insp Matt Hollingsworth, from Middlesbrough CID, said: “It is very fortunate that someone was not more seriously injured.

"She [the girl] has been very lucky. If that pellet had hit her in the eye or soft tissue areas there could have been catastrophic injuries."

Image source, Cleveland Police

Police said three people were hit with pellets close to the Bluebell Medical Centre, where a group of youths were believed to have gathered.

A 56-year-old man cycling past the centre was hit in the shoulder at 20:45, and a 28-year-old woman reported being struck with a pellet on the back at about 21:00.

The 15-year-old girl was shot about 15 minutes later and was taken to James Cook Hospital to have the projectile removed.

Image source, Cleveland Police

Police said there will be a high-visibility presence in the area around Trimdon Avenue on Thursday night and into the coming days.

Gatherings will be dispersed and anyone breaching the order can be arrested, officers warned.

BBC Sport takes a look back at some of Jermaine Jenas greatest Premier League moments as the Match of the Day pundit turns 38.

Sunderland boss Lee Johnson believes clinching a Wembley trip in the Papa John's Trophy can spur a "resurrection" for the former Premier League giants.

Doris and Charles Clark were detained last year over the disappearance of their son in 1992.

Police say they are growing "increasingly concerned" about a vulnerable Gateshead man who has been missing for more than two weeks.

Jordan Patterson, 25, was first reported missing on 1 February after failing to turn up for a medical appointment. Inquiries at his home address in the Rooksleigh area of Winlaton failed to locate him and Jordan has failed to pick up his prescription medication, Northumbria Police said.

His last movements were caught on CCTV at a shop at Gateshead Interchange at about 11:00 GMT on 1 February. He is known to visit Winlaton, Ryton, Rowlands Gill, Gateshead town centre and Newcastle city centre.

Image source, Family handout

Det Ch Insp Angela Hufton said: “We are growing increasingly concerned for Jordan’s welfare, particularly considering the bitterly cold weather we’ve had in recent weeks.

“We have had some reported sightings of Jordan off the back of our public appeals but we have so far been unable to track his whereabouts. Searches are continuing today and we are still confident we can locate Jordan alive and well, but time is critical."

Mr Patterson is described as white, 5ft 10in (1.8m) tall, of medium build with short dark hair and facial hair. He is known to often wear dark clothing, in particular hoodies with the hood up and a black coat.

Image source, Northumbria Police

Newcastle return more positive Covid-19 cases, so Saturday's game at Worcester is cancelled, Premiership Rugby confirms.

Listen to live BBC commentary from Exeter Chiefs v Northampton Saints and Leicester Tigers v Wasps in the English Premiership.

Listen to BBC Radio Devon commentary on Torquay United v FC Halifax Town in the National League.

Middlesbrough hang on despite Paddy McNair's late red card as they revive their faltering play-off bid by coming from behind to beat struggling Huddersfield.

Eastleigh dent Hartlepool's promotion bid and boost their own National League play-off hopes with victory.

Steven Clark's disappearance in 1992 is being treated as murder after a cold case review.

A class of four and five-year-olds from Washington have been building a new fleet of police cars as part of their home-schooling.

The youngsters from George Washington School were doing a project on transport and were inspired by PC Ben Waites from Northumbria Police who sent a video of the inside of a patrol car.

Some of the children's cars have impressive details.

This one below has a grabber hand to help catch 'baddies'.

Image source, George Washington Primary

The one below appears to turn into a helicopter.

Image source, George Washington Primary

Local Democracy Reporting Service
Alex Metcalfe

Extra money will be spent repairing Middlesbrough’s roads this year – months on from a “pothole purge” across the town.

More than 26,000 holes were fixed by council teams to try to fill a mass of problems across the town over 20 weeks last year.

The town-wide blitz saw more than 1,400 tonnes of asphalt laid across the borough, but many main roads and A-roads weren't included.

Last week, Middlesbrough Mayor Andy Preston unveiled an extra £750,000 would go towards fixing roads from April – something he said was “over and above the normal budget”.

Mr Preston said: “Everyone’s fed up with the potholes on our roads. Because of this people are frustrated with me and the council."

The council received £1.1m from the Department for Transport’s “pothole fund” this year.

Work has begun knocking down a former supermarket and shopping precinct in Spennymoor to make way for a new store.

It's hoped the work to raze Festival Walk and replace it with a new car park, Aldi store and other retail units will be complete by Spring next year.

Image source, Durham County Council

A bank holding a floodwater overflow lake is at risk of failing, the Environment Agency fears.

Earlier this month the River Coquet split in two after heavy rainfall, with part of the river merging into Caistron Lakes near Rothbury.

The Environment Agency said Caistron Lakes is holding anywhere between 40 and 200 Olympic sized swimming pools of water (100,000 to 500,000 cubic metres) and the aggregate bank holding it has eroded.

If the bank fails the water could flood agricultural and low lying land, public roads and the Cow Haugh car park at Rothbury riverside.

Image source, Environment Agency

The agency is working with Northumberland County Council, Northumberland Fire and Rescue Service and Northumbria Police to reduce the risk to the local area.

Caistron Lakes were created many years ago when the River Coquet overtopped into a sand and gravel extraction site.

The new breach will ultimately create a new channel for the River Coquet.

Hundreds of homes and offices are planned for the derelict site at South Shields.

Bringing you the latest news from across the North East from Monday 15 February to Friday 19 February 2021.